A New York Democrat argued that failing to prosecute former Bush
administration officials complicit in the use of torture would create a
dangerous precedent and place America on a path to "tyranny."

In
an interview with Raw Story, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) invoked a
"supremacy of laws" when critiquing President Barack Obama's decision to
"look forward and not backwards" on his predecessor's abuses of power.

The Brooklyn-born Nadler, who has represented New
York City since 1993, has taken a special interest in championing civil
liberties during the last decade. He rebukes
the Patriot Act. He opposes
FISA wiretapping. He rejects
the partial suspension of Habeas Corpus to fight terrorism.

"Since
the Patriot Act, I think we've gone overboard," Nadler said. "Not that
we've gone overboard on security, we certainly need the security, but
we've done things that are unnecessary to do in terms of restricting
civil liberties."

The Obama administration has declined to launch an investigation into
illegal activities carried
out during the Bush administration -- such as the practice of
waterboarding, which is widely considered a form
of torture, on terror suspects.

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"If you don't prosecute, or
if you don't investigate, then what you're saying is government can do
anything," Nadler argued. "And that's a formula for tyranny. So I think
it's very important." As for looking forward and not backwards? "By that
standard you'd never prosecute any crime."

White House officials
and some analysts fear that a drawn-out investigation, which would be
virulently fought by Republicans, would drain the capacity of Democrats
to advance their domestic agenda.

Nadler argues that to sustain a
democracy, it's vitally important to hold lawmakers accountable for
their crimes even more so than with private citizens. "People who
break the law, ought to be held accountable," he said, "especially if
they're in government, because they have more power."

Though he is
among a Congressional minority on some civil liberties issues, Nadler
continues to speak out against what he deems gratuitous expansions of
executive power that began under the Bush administration and have
persisted under Obama.

"I do not believe that they add to national
security," he said. "National security has to be protected, but
protected right."